... and it's quite fascinating. She starting having her kittens on my sister's bed this morning, which was strange. I've had cats before and they always find a place to hide for a few days. But Lucy is unashamed enough to want us to ba around, I guess. So we moved her to the bathroom, which is her favorite spot in the house (because it's cool, I think) and since 6:00 this morning she has had 5 little kittens and I think more could be coming. She lets us pet her and keep her calm even during really hard pushes.
I've never witnessed catbirth before. And let me tell you, it makes me everlastingly grateful that I'll never have to deliver anything with claws, or anything that comes in groups of 5.
[ July 11, 2004, 01:47 AM: Message edited by: Annie ]
Posted by Erik Slaine (Member # 5583) on :
Whew!
When I saw the title I thought maybe you'd locked your cat in with a tom in your house, and that the cat yowling situation was getting out of hand.
Did you want kittens?
Posted by Annie (Member # 295) on :
Yes, we wanted one litter and then we'll have her spayed.
By the way, the total is now six. Three with black & white spots, two black & gray striped and one black. Posted by Erik Slaine (Member # 5583) on :
Good choice. Congrats!
Posted by Ralphie (Member # 1565) on :
I'm still squicked out by anything birth-related, but having a new litter of little kittens around makes me very jealous, Annie.
Posted by Erik Slaine (Member # 5583) on :
^^^^^easily squicked?^^^^^
Posted by Ralphie (Member # 1565) on :
Verra.
Posted by Bob_Scopatz (Member # 1227) on :
I thought this was going to be a cautionary tale about not leaving the Xerox machine turned on when the cat is loose.
Posted by TMedina (Member # 6649) on :
Woo hoo.
Just make sure to keep an eye on the runt of the litter.
-Trevor
Posted by ludosti (Member # 1772) on :
Tiny kittens are a lot of fun!! Congratulations to the momma cat on the little ones! Posted by Mabus (Member # 6320) on :
Still only six? Do you think there are more coming?
And Ralphie is easily squicked?!? Posted by Corwin (Member # 5705) on :
quote: And Ralphie is easily squicked?!?
Neeeeh... I just wonder if Ralphie knows someone's using her account...
D'OH! (I mean, Edit): Kittens ! Awwwwwwwww...
[ July 10, 2004, 06:26 PM: Message edited by: Corwin ]
Posted by Annie (Member # 295) on :
There are now seven, but the last one doesn't look to be doing so well. He was laying on the cold tile floor, away from mom and the others on the towels. He was still alive, though, so I put him under the others hoping he'll warm up and she'll lick him so he can dry off Posted by Ralphie (Member # 1565) on :
quote: And Ralphie is easily squicked?!?
By anything related to childbirth, yes.
Posted by Annie (Member # 295) on :
Don't worry Ralphie - at least none of your offspring will ever come out claws first...
...we hope
Posted by Da_Goat (Member # 5529) on :
Good luck to the seventh. I hope he makes it.
Posted by aspectre (Member # 2222) on :
Next time, have your cat reproduce a Degas or a Klimt.
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
How are the kittens and momma cat doing, Annie?
Congrats, and I hope the last one is ok.
Posted by Annie (Member # 295) on :
He's donig well... we warmed him up and brushed him with a toothbrush, and the little girls got him to nurse. They named him Siete for being number seven
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaw
Posted by Insanity Plea (Member # 2053) on :
awwww...they're so cuuuuttteeeeeeee too much cute!
:: dies of kitty cuteness :: Satyagraha
[ July 11, 2004, 01:50 AM: Message edited by: Insanity Plea ]
Posted by Storm Saxon (Member # 3101) on :
A) That is one freaking huge mama cat.
B) She looks really happy and content. Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
They are so sweet with their little eyes scrunched shut. AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!
Posted by Annie (Member # 295) on :
She's actually pretty scrawny - she's only a year old. The babies are just reeeeely small.
Posted by Teshi (Member # 5024) on :
She's only a year? Practically a teenage mother?!
I don't know TONS about kittens and cats but I have a friend who looks after pregnant cats on a regular basis (until they have their kittens and about two months after). For the first few days (about a week?) my friend leaves the mother and babies alone as much as possible- so they get a proper relationship or something.
As I said, I don't know exactly, but you might want to look into it...
Kittens are so cute, and you have seven, that's amazing (wait until they start exploring...) O.o
Posted by Kwea (Member # 2199) on :
Very cool.
Only one thing wrong with kittens though.
They grow up to be cats.
Kwea
Posted by Space Opera (Member # 6504) on :
Awww...those pictures made me grin.
space opera
Posted by ak (Member # 90) on :
That is a huge litter! Both my litters were only four! Be specially careful of the runt of the litter, to be sure he/she gets enough to eat. Supplement with KMR (kitten milk replacement) given from a doll's bottle if necessary. I think actually the pet stores now carry kitten nursing bottles. Make sure the nipple hole (you have to cut them) is big enough to allow drops to come out one at a time, but not too big so that the kitten will be choked by too much fluid. Also, their little tummies have to be massaged with a warm damp paper towel after each feeding, for their digestive systems to work. Mama licks them from chin to tail on the abdomen, and you should mimic that. I hope they all make it!
They are super adorable, Annie. I think the darkness is important the first few days to proper development of their vision. At least that's what I have read. Not sure how scientific that is. There is lots of "lore" in kitten raising. Of course, there is lots of good experience contained therein as well, and not too much hard science is done (thank goodness), so I would not ignore it too lightly.
Remember that the kittens are babies, and don't let the little ones treat them as toys. Teach them to respect their feelings and wellbeing, and it will be a beautiful experience for both the children and the kittens.
Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :
Yeah, don't handle them too much. They look so cuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuute!
Posted by Eruve Nandiriel (Member # 5677) on :
Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!!! They're adorable! *loves cats* Posted by Farmgirl (Member # 5567) on :
They are very cute! They will be even cuter in a few weeks when they are running around!
Remember at 6 weeks or so, most kittens need to be wormed . It is kind of a chronic problem in most newborn kittens, unless the mom was wormed just before she got pregnant. We just wormed all of ours.
![[Confused]](confused.gif)
![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
![[Frown]](frown.gif)
He was laying on the cold tile floor, away from mom and the others on the towels. He was still alive, though, so I put him under the others hoping he'll warm up and she'll lick him so he can dry off ![[Smile]](smile.gif)
![[Smile]](http://www.blue-rooster-design.com/kittens/kittens03.jpg)